1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to printing system mechanisms. In particular, this invention directs itself to silk screen printing systems for printing varying indicia on a plurality of articles. More in particular, this invention to a printing system which includes a printing frame having rotatably mounted thereto a plurality of work station mechanisms upon which the articles to be printed are mounted. More in particular, this invention relates to a silk screen printing system wherein the articles mounted on varying work stations may be rotated with respect to a stabilized printing frame to allow the articles to be successively rotatably displaced from a loading position to a printing position and then to a drying position. Additionally, this invention relates to a silk screen printing system which includes an indicia printing carriage mechanism for contacting the articles mounted on work stations by an indicia bearing stencil member. Further, this invention directs itself to a silk screen printing system which includes the indicia printing carriage mechanism displaceable in a longitudinal direction to allow indexing of the indicia on the articles to be printed. More in particular, this invention provides for the printing stations carrying the articles to be rotated about a secondary axis to allow orientation of the indicia at predetermined points on the articles to be printed.
2. Prior Art
Silk screen printing systems are well-known in the art. The best prior art known to the Applicant includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,992,989; 4,084,504; 3,166,011; 3,795,189; 2,613,595; 4,031,825; 3,838,639; 3,842,733; 2,057,950; 2,183,223; 4,404,903; 4,407,195; 3,650,207; and, 2,963,964.
In some prior art printing systems, there is provided various modes and mechanisms for displacing the articles to be printed. However, in some prior art systems, there are not provided a plurality of work stations which hold the articles to be printed and are rotatable from one station position to a next station position. Additionally, some prior art systems do not provide for a rotatable set of work stations with respect to a base frame to allow displacement of the work stations and the articles to be printed.
In other prior art systems, there is not provided the system mechanisms which allow rotation of the articles to be printed about a plurality of vertically directed axes in order to allow orientation of indicia to be printed at varying angles on the articles. Still further in other prior art systems, there is not provided a longitudinally displaceable indicia printing carriage mechanism which allows for indexing of various indicia at predetermined points or locations on an article to be printed. Still further, other prior art systems do not allow for the indicia printing carriage mechanisms to be rotatable in a horizontal plane to allow printing at two or more work stations.
In some prior art systems, there is not provided a work station placement zone above a drying mechanism to minimize the time for drying the articles which have been printed.